Stringed musical instrument



April 7, 1953 J. w. MCBRIDE 2,633,770

STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Filed Jan. 5, 1951 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 (fox/1v W MCBQ/DE,

INVEN TOR.

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April 7, 1953 Filed Jan. 5, 1951 J. W. M BRIDE STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT 2 SHEET SSHEET 2 1 Ml/ &.

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IN VEN TOR.

Patented Apr. 7, i953 STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT John W. McBride, Burbank, Calil., assignor to Bantar, Incorporated, Burbank, Calif., a corpu ration of California Application January 5, 1951, Serial No. 204,572

13 Claims. 1

This invention relates to stringed musical in struments of the guitar or banjo form.

It is one of the objects of this invention to make it possible to vibrate the strings of such an instrument in a novel manner, and thereby to produce pleasing and novel musical effects.

In the conventional type of instrument, the tensioned strings are disposed over a series of spaced frets. The fingers of the performer are used to depress any of the strings against any of the frets for determining the tone of vibration. This corresponds with the free length of the string between the bridge and the fret against which the string is urged.

It is another object of this invention to dispense with such frets and, instead, to provide a series of projections that cooperate with the string for setting it into vibration, as well as to determine its free length.

This invention possesses many other advantages, and has other objects which may be made more clearly apparent from a consideration of several embodiments of the invention. For this purpose there are shown a few forms in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the present specification. These forms will now be described in detail, illustrating the general principles of the invention; but it is to be understood that this detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of an instrument incorporating the invention;

Fig. 2 is aside elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view, taken along a plane corresponding to line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary elevation of a portion of the mechanism;

Fig. 5 is a pictorial view of one of the bars utilized in connection with the invention;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of a modified form of the invention;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary pictorial view of the bars utilized in connection with the form of the invention shown in Fig. 6; V

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary enlarged side elevation of the string operating mechanism;

Fig. 9 is an enlarged sectional view, taken along a plane corresponding to line 9-9 of Fig. 8; and

Fig. 10 is an enlarged sectional view, taken along a plane corresponding to line Ill-ll] of Fig. 8. v

In the form of the instrument illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, a body I is provided having the general contour of a guitar, or the like. This body is provided with a neck portion 2. Since the transmission and amplification of sound from the vibrating strings is effected by aid of electric pick-up means, this body may be made of a solid piece of wood without any resonating cavity.

One or more strings 3, 4, 5, and 6 are tensioned above the body I. For this purpose, they are clamped at one end, as by the aid of a plate 1, to the body I. They extend over a stationary bridge 8 appropriately grooved for the reception of these strings. An electro-magnetic pick-up device e, indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1, may be supported in or on the body for transmitting electrical impulses, corresponding to the vibrations of these strings, to any appropriate amplifier and sound reproducer.

At the left-hand end of the body another bridge structure in is provided, appropriately supported on the neck 2 of the instrument. This bridge also may be appropriately grooved for the reception of the strings. The strings are wound on pins i I, which may be rotated for tensioning the strings in a well known manner by the aid of the pegs l2.

Beneath each of the strings 3, 4, 5, and 6 there is located a corresponding bar l3, l4, l5, or E5. In the present instance, these bars are shown as having a square cross section, and are provided with thin flattened ends ll. Screws l8 pass through these ends, and serve to attach these bars to the body I underneath the string 6. A corner edge of the bar is directed upwardly, and is interrupted to form a. series of projections 01' crests 15. This is accomplished by flattening the edge between these projections l9. Furthermore, the bars are so placed with respect to the corresponding strings that the series of projections are disposed along a line at a slight angle to the length of the string. The extreme left-hand projection IQ of each of the bars I3 to It, inclusive, is disposed adjacent and below the corresponding string. The clearance between the strings and crests is indicated in Fig. 3. In the free position of the strings, they are out of contact with the crests or projections [8.

However, any of the strings can be depressed and moved transversely so as to cause each to be stopped against any one of the projections l9. The extent of transverse movement accordingly determines which one of the projections 19 is in engagement with the strings, thereby deter- 'neath each of the strings.

mining the free vibratin length of the string. This movement is indicated in Fig. 4, where t string 3 may be moved transversely, as indicated by the arrow 20, to assume a position indicated by the dot-and-dash lines 2i. In the position shown in Fig. 4, the third of the series of projections I 9 is in contact with the string.

In the process of depressing the string 3 and moving it transversely, the string first eng a projection l9, slips above the projection i9, and engages the next of the series. This plucking of the string in a direction transverse to the length of the string accordingly causes the string to vibrate as it moves over a projection. The tone produced by the vibrating String i de termined by its rest position against one of the projections 19. These projections i9 accordingly serve as picks, as well as stops for the string. By appropriate manipulation, the strings may be vibrated and stopped in succession along the length of the bars; and the pressure exerted on the strings can be varied to produce effects similar to vibrato. Other effects, by moving and depressing the strings either simultaneously or in succession, may be produced.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 6 to 10, inclusive, the body 22 is shaped somewhat as before, with the tensioned strings 23, 26, 25, and 26 supported by the aid of the bridges 21 and 25.

In this instance, there is a serie of projections 39 arranged on the bars 35 disposed be- These bars may be formed of sheet metal integral with a base plate 32 attached to the top of the body 22, as by the aid of the screws 33.

The extreme left-hand bar 3i (Fig. 7) is shown as havin an uninterrupted crest tile. Sidewise motion of the string accordingly produces a continuous change in pitch.

A pivoted fret 29 intermediate bridges 2i and 28, serves to lower all of the strings when this fret 29 is in the inactive position. The strings then rest on the crests at the left-hand ends of the bars 3i. ccordingly, the string need not be urged downwardly to play the instrument. Thus by manipulation of the bridge 29, either mode of operation may be optionally used.

In order to facilitate manipulation of the strings, a pivoted member is provided for each string. These pivoted members 36, 35, 3E, and 31 are each provided with a downwardly extending pin portion 38 (Fig. 1G) slidably and pivotally mounted in a bushing 39 supported in the body 22. Members 3 35, 3E, and 3'3 extend in a direction above the corresponding strings, and at their free ends they are provided with finger rests td, ii, l2, and 53. As shown most clearly in Fig. 9, each finger rest is of cup-shape integrally formed at the free ends of the members 34, 35, 3E, and 3?. Each of the finger rest members $3 is provided with a downwardly extending slotted post A l adapted to straddle the corresponding string, such as 25, indicated in Fig. 9.

By pressing downwardly on any one of the finger rests t3, the corresponding members 34, 35, 36, and 3'! may be moved downwardly by the aid of the guided sleeve 39. This causes the corresponding string 23 or 25 to be depressed. These finger rests 43 also serve t move the corresponding string transversely in order to produce the same effects as described in connection with Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive. The resilience of the strings 23 to 25, inclusive, serves to raise 4 these finger rests 4|, 42, or 43 when the pressure is released by the fingers.

The inventor claims:

1. In a musical instrument: a tensioned string; and a series of projections adjacent the string, said projections being disposed along a line at an angle to the length of the string, and capable of engagement with the string in succession as the string is urged transversely of its length.

2. In a musical instrument: a body; a tensioned string supported above the body; and a series of projections supported on the body below the string, said projections being disposed along a line at an angle to the length of the string, said string being depressible to engage any of the projections upon urging the string transversely of the string.

3. In a musical instrument: a tensioned strin and a bar having an interrupted edge disposed adjacent the string to form a series of projections along the length of the bar, said series falling along a line forming a slight angle with the string.

4. In a musical instrument; a body; a tensioned string supported above the body; and a bar having an interrupted corner edge, supported on the body below the string, said edge forming a series of projections along the length of the bar, and along a line at an angle to the string, said string being depressible to engage any of the projections upon urging the string transversely of the string.

5. In a musical instrument: a tensioned string; a series of projections adjacent the string, said projections being disposed along a line at an angle to the length of the string, and capable of engagement with the string in succession as the string is urged transversely of its length; and a pivotally mounted string engaging member for moving said string transversely to cause the string to cooperate with the projections.

6. In a musical instrument: a body; a tensioned string supported above the body; a series of projections supported on the body below the string, said projections being disposed along a line at a slight angle to the string; a member having an extension pivoted 0n the body and movable axially and angularly; and a string engaging finger rest mounted on the member and above the string.

'7. In a musical instrument: a body; a tensioned string supported on the body; and a series of projections supported on the body below the string, said series being disposed on a line at a slight angle to the string, the string in its free position being spaced above the projections, one end projection being spaced transversely from the string.

8. In a musicalinstrument: a body; a tensioned string supported on the body; a series of projections supported on the body below the string, said series being disposed on a line at a slight angle to the string, the string in its free position being spaced above the projections, one end projection being spaced transversely from the string; and means for depressing and moving the string transversely.

9. In a musical instrument: a tensioned string; a bar having an interrupted edge disposed adjacent the string to form a series of projections along the length of the bar, said series falling along a line forming a slight angle with the string; and means for depressing and moving the string transversely to cause the string to cooperate with the projections.

10. In a musical instrument: a tensioned string; a bar having an interrupted edge disposed adjacent the string to form a series of projections along the length of the bar, said series falling along a line forming a slight angle with the string; and a movable fret for optionally raising or lowering the string with respect to the projections.

11. In a musical instrument: a tensioned string; a bar having an edge disposed adjacent the string to form a projection along the length of the bar, said edge falling along a line forming a slight angle with the string.

12. In a musical instrument: a body; a tensioned string; means forming a series of projections adjacent the string and disposed along a line inclined with respect to the string; and means selectively operable for normally spacing said string above all of said projections, requiring depression for engagement with any of the projec-tions.

13. In a musical instrument: a body; a tensioned string; means forming a series of projections adjacent the string and disposed along a line inclined with respect to the string; means selectively operable for normally spacing said string above all of said projections, requiring depression for engagement with any of the projeetions; and means for moving the string transversely, said means also being operable to depress said string when said selectively operable means normally spaces said string from said projections.

JOHN W. MCBRIDE.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Newman June 9, 1908 Number 

